Technical Field
This disclosure relates to a drive transmission device and an image forming apparatus incorporating the drive transmission device. The drive transmission device is detachably attached to the apparatus body that includes a driven body that functions as a transmission target to which a driving force is transmitted.
Related Art
Some known drive transmission units include two members disposed facing each other with a gap across the two members and a gear or gears to rotate in the gap formed between the two members. Such a known drive transmission unit is detachably attached to an apparatus body provided with a driven body that functions as a transmission target to which a driving force applied by the known drive transmission unit.
For example, a known drive transmission unit that is detachably attached to an apparatus body of a printer includes two unit plates disposed facing each other with a gap formed across these units plates and multiple gears to rotate meshing with each other in the gap. While the drive transmission unit is attached to the apparatus body of the printer, a photoconductor that functions as a driven body is detachably attached to the apparatus body. The photoconductor has a rotary shaft to which a photoconductor gear is fixed. When the photoconductor is set to the apparatus body of the printer, a gear tip of the photoconductor gear is firstly set to a position facing the gap formed between the unit plates of the drive transmission unit that is attached to the apparatus body of the printer. Then, the position of the gear tip is gradually moved toward the gap. Consequently, the photoconductor is set to the apparatus body of the printer. The photoconductor that has been set to the apparatus body of the printer then causes the gear tip of the photoconductor gear to enter into the gap formed between the unit plates of the drive transmission unit, so that the photoconductor is meshed with a gear disposed in the gap. Due to this meshing of the photoconductor gear and the gear in the gap, the driving force is transmitted from the drive transmission unit to the photoconductor. Since the above-described drive transmission unit is detachably attachable to the apparatus body of the printer, the maintainability of the printer can be enhanced.